Women’s World Banking seeks to alleviate global poverty by expanding the economic assets, participation and power of the poor, especially women.

WWB is a global network of 40 microfinance providers and banks, working in 28 countries to bring financial services and information to low-income entrepreneurs. The network serves 20 million micro-entrepreneurs. WWB’s advisors and technical experts work hand in hand with our network members to provide a range of ongoing, carefully designed technical and advisory services and to actively promote the exchange of best practices. During the past three decades, this global partnership has enabled many of our network institutions to evolve from donor-dependent, philanthropic initiatives to self-sustaining financial institutions offering credit, savings, insurance and other essential products and services to millions of microentrepreneurs, the majority of them women. In this partnership, network members are free to make their own decisions and reach their own conclusions; WWB’s philosophy is that self-determined, locally controlled organizations know their markets best and are the real agents of change.

The WWB network is supported by a global team that works closely with our member institutions to develop innovative business strategies, strengthen their organizations, and create products that best meet the needs of the poor in the communities they serve. Based in New York City, WWB’s global team consists of 40 microfinance professionals who deliver expertise in serving the women’s market through product design and distribution, access to capital markets, organizational effectiveness, and peer-to-peer learning.